Reference holder



Sept. 1, 1931. A. ELDER REFERENCE HOLDER Filed March 24. 1928 INVENTOR 12.6 Elder ATTORNEY son.

enema see. i, an

earns ARCHIE e. nnnnnyor SEATTLE, WASHINGTON REFERENCE HOLDER Application. filed. March 24,1928. Serial No. 264-,322.

This invention relates to book-supported lesson or copy holdersyand its object is to provide a simple, inexpensively. constructed, and efiicient device of this character which is adapted to be detachably connected to books of different sizes in such a way as not to interfere with the opening; and closing of the same nor to the turning of its leaves; and which is adapted to hold a pamphlet or leaflet in a positionto be conveniently read by a reader holding the book which supports the pamphlet holder.

The invention is particularly intended for holding lesson pamphlets or the like containing references to diiferent parts of a text book to which the holder is connected,

and in the use of which bookthe student or reader thereof is obliged to turn its leaves to reach passages of the book cited in the les- Lesson pamphlets are now extensively used for Bible and other'religious study, and it is advantageous for the student to have the lesson pamphlet attachedto the" book in order to have both the pamphlet and the book readily available for reference, one with the other. i I

It is also advantageous to be able, as in the present invention, toprovide means for coupling a lesson pamphlet-to a book in a manner which will enable them to-be held by one hand of the student, leaving the other hand free for turningthe' leaves of the book as may be required.

The invention consists in thenovel construction, adaptation and combination of parts hereinafter deseribed'and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a holder embodying my invention, shown applied to a book for holding a" lesson pamphlet; 2 is a fragmentary front elevation of the holder shown in Fig. 1, to a larger scale; Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. l is a horizontal detail sectionalview illustrating the adjustable hinge connections between the main frame members of the holder; and

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view through line 5 5 of Fig. 2. p

and 4. As shown, link-part IOv is a flattened proximity to the back or binding 76f the clampingplates 16 are v extensible connecting link,. such-head.car-

According to the present invention, the body of a holder comprises two plateniembers 6, each consisting of a headsportion and two fingers 8 and 9 depending therefrom. The linger 8 is arranged inltheplane of the lower portion of the respective head, but the finger 9 is offset forwardly atits juncture with the head, as shown Fig. 3; the extent of the offset. orshoulder' being substantially the same as, or. very slightly (30 greater than, the thickness ofthe respective member. The form of the fingers 8 ai1d9 is preferably as indicated in: Fig. I, the outer finger 8 being slightly longer than the other. Said fingers are slightly enlarged at their lower ends. The plate members 6 are con'nect'edto each other fromtheir re' spective heads 7 by means of an extensible link consisting of two telescopically c0n-,- nected parts 10 andhlI. i Ends of the linkpartsarehingedly connected with the respective heads bythe provision of curled extremities 1210f the heads surrounding. pintle elements I3 provided at ends of the linlnparts as shown inligs. 2

rectangular tube, in, which the" complementary part 11 slidably fits, both parts being sli htly curved longitudinally, as shown in In practice, the fingers 9' ofboth members are formed or arran ed, near their lower ends, to engage leaves of a book close leaves.v p

pivotally"; and yieldably mounted on the respective ,lieads 7, as; follows Adjacent to the ends of: the

ries a forwardly protruding. pin or stud 17 so The front end of each pin 1-7 hasa threaded opening for receivinglai'screw 18 havinga knurled head 18 of larger diameter than the pin, which screw head is recessed, as, shown in Fig- 3, to. receive-air 'endifof a helical spring 19. Each clamping-plate 116 T is provided with a slightly elongated apers ture throughwhich passes the-respective pin .Said' springs 19' surround the respective 1' forwardly. Both the heads 7 pins 17, between the associated clampingplates and the screw heads 18 to normally press the plates backwardly toward the front faces of the heads 7 of the respective members. The rear end of a spring 19 engages in a small opening provided therefor in the associated clamping-plate, being thereby prevented from entering the aper- Twhich extends through a slot in the head 7. Said tongue 21 is desirably slightly curved,

as shownin Fig. 8, and fits slidably in said slot so as to'permitpivotal movement of the clamping-plate about the end of the lug 20, but preventing rotation of the plate about the axis of the pin 17 V To facilitate introducing a reference leaflet or pamphlet, as B in Fig. 1, into clamping relation with a member 6, the upper portions of the respective clamping-plate 16 and of the head 7 are desirably curved and the clamping-plates 16 may have the ornamental wing-like outline shown, or be of any other suitable or desired form.

' In the use of the holder, the extensible connecting-link, formed by the parts 10 and 11 is first adjusted to a length substantially equal to the thickness of a book A (Fig. 1)

on which the holder is to be engaged. The

complementary fingersB and-9 of both members are then inserted in the book to straddle ing the respective covers a; the fingers 8 being placed between the covers and the flyleaves, and thefingers 9 positioned to bear against the sides of the fly-leaves opposite those contacted bythe fingers 8.

The offsetting of the fingers 9 at their juncture with the respective heads7 permits each of the fly-leaves to lie substantially in a plane so as not to be marred or injured by the holder. When the holder is properly fadjusted, the extensible link 1Ol1 lies between the book covers a and seats upon the; top of the round, so called, comprisin the rear portions of all of the leaves'of the book, excepting the fly-leaves to which the fingers 8 and 9 are'engaged. The holder being thus applied, the book may be opened or closed, and the leaves thereof turned to open at any place. throughout the book without interfering with'such leaf turning, saidextensible link acting to support the entire weight of the holder and its contents upon the body of the book or round thereof. In

opening and closing the book the pivotallyconnected holder-members are movable integrally with the respective covers of the. book.

After the holder is in place upon the book A, the reference-pamphlet B is opened at a desired place and, thus regulated, the lower portion of the pamphlet is inserted between the clamping-plates 16 and heads 7 at both sides of the holder as indicated in Fig. 1. At such position the lower edge of the pamphlet engages upon the tongues 21, which thus serve as stops for limiting the extent to which the leaves of the pamphlet may enter the clamps.

Because of the forward curvature of the heads 7 and the clamping plates 16, the

- pamphlet B will be caused to incline slightly forwardly of the plane of the book A when the latter is held vertically; or, if the book is held horizontally, the pamphlet will be held in a relatively upwardly inclined position with respect to the book; and, in any case, when the book is held for the convenient reading thereof, the pamphlet is also held in a correspondingly convenient readable position. The adjustable screws 18, moreover, provide means to regulate the effective power of the springs 19 whereby the springs will regulate the clamping plates 16 to cause the pamphlet B to be held at a selected forwardly angular relation with respect to the book A.

sired to be opened.

The pamphlet is removed from the holder when it is desired to turn the leaves thereof, and may bereinserted within the holder after being opened at the desired place. To prevent the holder being accidentally disengaged from the book A when pulling the pamphlet from the clampparts, there is provided on each of the heads 7 a rearwardly extending lug 22, shown in Fig. 5, said lugs being so positioned that either may be conveniently held with a finger of a persons hand grasping the book, while the pamphlet is being withdrawn with his other hand from the pamphlet clamping devices of the holder.

The invention and the manner of using the same will, it is thought, he understood from the foregoing description of the illustrated embodiment of the invention now preferred by me; While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, I do not wish to be understood as confining myself specifically thereto except as I may be limited by the following claims.

What I claim, is,

1. In a book supported reference pamphlet holder, a pair of plate members each provided with a head portion and two spaced apart book engaging fingers depending therefrom, clamping plates cooperating with the respective members for clamping a pamphlet to the holder, springs for actuating said clamping plates, screw devices engaging said members for regulating the effective power of said springs, and an extensible link hingedly connected to the head portions of the respective members for retaining the latter in selected spaced apart relation.

2. In a book supported reference pamphlet holder, a pair of plate members each provided with a head portion and two spaced apart book engaging fingers depending therefrom, clamping plates'cooperating with the respective members for clamping a pamphlet to the holder, springs for actuating said clamping plates, screw devices for regulating the effective power of said springs, and an extensible link hingedly connected to the head portions of the respective members for retaining the latter in selected spaced apart relation.

3. In a book supported reference pamphlet holder, a pair of plate members each provided with a head portion and two spaced apart book engaging fingers depending therefrom, clamping plates cooperating with the respective members for clamping a pamphlet to the holder, springs for actuating said clamping plates, screw devices engaging said members for regulating the effective power of said springs, and a link hingedly connected to the head portions of the respective members for retaining the latter in spaced apart relation.

4. In a book supported reference pamphlet holder, a pair of plate members each provided with a head portion and two spaced apart book engaging fingers depending therefrom, clamping plates cooperating with the respective members for clamping a pamphlet to the holder, springs for actuating said clamping plates, screw devices engaging said members for regulating the effective power ofsaid springs, and a link hingedly connected to the head portions of the respective members for retaining the latter in spaced apart relation.

5. A pamphlet holder comprising a pair of plate members each having a head-portion and depending spaced fingers adapted to straddle leaves of a book, an extensible link having the ends thereof hingedly connected to the head-portions of said members to adapt the same for movement with the covers of a book, and clanip-parts pivotally and yieldablymounted upon the head-portions of said members and adapted to en gage leaves of a pamphlet with the holder.

6. In a holder of the class described, a pair of horizontally spaced apart, holding members each comprising a head-portion, a. 

